Headphones make my ears sweat
May 4, 2005 5:37 PM Subscribe
Headphones, particularly those that surround the ear, make my ears uncomfortably hot. I've tried ear buds and etymotic in the ear phones, but find them uncomfortable. Are there decent headphones that sit off the ear or lightly on the ear that won't be so hot?
I'm thinking those cheap headphones that use to come with walkmans, with the thin metal band that goes over the head and has foam covered ear pieces... If they where too tight you could bend the metal part... not sure where to find em though, perhaps at a Dollar store or soemthing.
posted by edgeways at 6:01 PM on May 4, 2005
posted by edgeways at 6:01 PM on May 4, 2005
I've been ridiculously happy with the $15 pair of behind the head headphones I picked up from Radio Shack of all places. Sure, they're not as hip as the buds that came with my Ipod, but they're hella more comfortable regardless of how they look. The speakers sit right on your ears without any pressure to speak of. I wear them when I walk in the evening and don't have any overheating issues and I no complaints about comfort. I probably lose some sound quality, but I'm primarily listening to audiobooks, so the quality of the recording is dubious to begin with.
posted by friezer at 6:46 PM on May 4, 2005
posted by friezer at 6:46 PM on May 4, 2005
I have had the same problem with hot ears. I'm gonna have to shoot down edgeways' suggestion on the el cheapo 'phones - that's the style that has been the worst (for me). One would think that since they don't fit that tight, and have a lot of foam between the speaker and your ear, that they would be cooler. But that has not been my experience. (In fact I think it may be due to the cheap foam.) Plus there is a trade-off in sound quality. They're inexpensive, but they're cheap.
I think AlexReynolds has the right idea with the B&O 'phones, as far as the style/form factor, but you can get much cheaper ones. They loop over the top of your ears, and the speaker is an earbud sized affair that is held in place at the entrance to your ear canal rather than resting inside. There's not enough covering your ear to hold heat in (your ears are kind of like mini radiators - you typically lose quite a bit of heat through your ears, considering their size).
I also like the Sony 'phones I have had for several years - they're the "street style" or somesuch with the connecting band that loops around the back of the neck instead of over the top of the head. Since there's not an over-the-top band to hold the speakers up, they have little loopies that stick out by each, resting on top of and around the back of each ear. (They're similar to the hooks on the B&Os and similar.) I never get the hot-ear even when wearing these for hours; the only issue I have (which you may or may not have) is that they pinch my ears a little, so that after wearing them for a while, my ears are a little sore. They also don't sit too well with glasses or sunglasses on. (On preview, basically the same thing friezer linked to.)
Another option would be a Jabra type earbud cover. I imagine several companies make this sort of thing, in a range of prices; the Jabra brand is the only one I have personal experience with. It's a gel-like cover that is shaped to fit comfortably and snugly into your ear canal and still transmit sound. (Think of the type of stealth earphone that news anchors and Secret Service agents wear.) Jabra headsets (mostly for cell phones) come with one for each ear in three different sizes. My ear canals seem to point upward more than normal, and these still work well for me. They are comfortable, they don't get hot, and in fact are so secure that if my headset cord gets yanked (as I drop my cell or the like) the gel cover stays in my ear while the rest of the headset goes flying.
If you are really picky (like me), your best bet may be to test drive several different styles. Find friends with good ear hygiene and ask to borrow their 'phones.
posted by attercoppe at 6:53 PM on May 4, 2005
I think AlexReynolds has the right idea with the B&O 'phones, as far as the style/form factor, but you can get much cheaper ones. They loop over the top of your ears, and the speaker is an earbud sized affair that is held in place at the entrance to your ear canal rather than resting inside. There's not enough covering your ear to hold heat in (your ears are kind of like mini radiators - you typically lose quite a bit of heat through your ears, considering their size).
I also like the Sony 'phones I have had for several years - they're the "street style" or somesuch with the connecting band that loops around the back of the neck instead of over the top of the head. Since there's not an over-the-top band to hold the speakers up, they have little loopies that stick out by each, resting on top of and around the back of each ear. (They're similar to the hooks on the B&Os and similar.) I never get the hot-ear even when wearing these for hours; the only issue I have (which you may or may not have) is that they pinch my ears a little, so that after wearing them for a while, my ears are a little sore. They also don't sit too well with glasses or sunglasses on. (On preview, basically the same thing friezer linked to.)
Another option would be a Jabra type earbud cover. I imagine several companies make this sort of thing, in a range of prices; the Jabra brand is the only one I have personal experience with. It's a gel-like cover that is shaped to fit comfortably and snugly into your ear canal and still transmit sound. (Think of the type of stealth earphone that news anchors and Secret Service agents wear.) Jabra headsets (mostly for cell phones) come with one for each ear in three different sizes. My ear canals seem to point upward more than normal, and these still work well for me. They are comfortable, they don't get hot, and in fact are so secure that if my headset cord gets yanked (as I drop my cell or the like) the gel cover stays in my ear while the rest of the headset goes flying.
If you are really picky (like me), your best bet may be to test drive several different styles. Find friends with good ear hygiene and ask to borrow their 'phones.
posted by attercoppe at 6:53 PM on May 4, 2005
Stax and AKG make some great headphones which will meet your needs. The Stax in particular will sound incredibly better than any speaker you can buy for less than the price of a new car. They will, however, cost as much as a pretty decent used car.
I am a Sennheiser guy and I think despite their surround foam that they are not hot nor are they uncomfortable. They also cost much less than the AKG and much, much less than the STAX. YMMV, but the Sennheisers are really comfortable. The HD-600 cans are also better than most $5,000 speakers (without the bass bounce on your body). Since they are the old hat now they can be had for a song, especially used (replace the foam if that sort of thing bothers you).
posted by caddis at 7:11 PM on May 4, 2005
I am a Sennheiser guy and I think despite their surround foam that they are not hot nor are they uncomfortable. They also cost much less than the AKG and much, much less than the STAX. YMMV, but the Sennheisers are really comfortable. The HD-600 cans are also better than most $5,000 speakers (without the bass bounce on your body). Since they are the old hat now they can be had for a song, especially used (replace the foam if that sort of thing bothers you).
posted by caddis at 7:11 PM on May 4, 2005
i have sony over the ear clip style foam ones and they're very light and open--not warm at all.
posted by amberglow at 7:53 PM on May 4, 2005
posted by amberglow at 7:53 PM on May 4, 2005
Stax in particular will sound incredibly better than any speaker you can buy for less than the price of a new car. They will, however, cost as much as a pretty decent used car.Yeah - but, for only a little more, he could just hire a couple people to follow him around carrying speakers.
Jackson: Have you considered clip on style headphones?
posted by kickingtheground at 7:56 PM on May 4, 2005
In terms of the big headphones that completely enclose your ears, there's a big difference between the "open air" and "closed" types. The typical traditional big headphones are closed, and they've always had the problem of getting hot and sweaty.
"Open" headsets, like the Sennheiser HD 590, are totally different. Because they've got really open venting, they sound much more open--many audiophiles prefer their sound quality--and they don't get closed and hot at all. You can wear them for hours and not get sweaty ears.
The main trade-offs are that they're not nearly as well sound-insulated, and they "leak" sound a lot more. If you're listening to music alone, and you'd actually like to be able to hear the phone ring, then they're _perfect_ for you. If you're either wearing phones to not bother other people, or to shut off the outside world, then not so much.
posted by LairBob at 9:55 PM on May 4, 2005
"Open" headsets, like the Sennheiser HD 590, are totally different. Because they've got really open venting, they sound much more open--many audiophiles prefer their sound quality--and they don't get closed and hot at all. You can wear them for hours and not get sweaty ears.
The main trade-offs are that they're not nearly as well sound-insulated, and they "leak" sound a lot more. If you're listening to music alone, and you'd actually like to be able to hear the phone ring, then they're _perfect_ for you. If you're either wearing phones to not bother other people, or to shut off the outside world, then not so much.
posted by LairBob at 9:55 PM on May 4, 2005
THESE are the best headphones I've ever had. Through constant daily use I destroy about 1 pair per year, but I've always been rough on headphones. They sound great. They're big enough to block out some sound, and open enough that you can hear the wife yelling at you from the other room.
posted by jaded at 5:18 AM on May 5, 2005
posted by jaded at 5:18 AM on May 5, 2005
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posted by AlexReynolds at 5:54 PM on May 4, 2005